


Switchblades & Infidelity

by j2mslittlebitch



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Daryl feels guilty, How Do I Tag, Hurt Rick, Hurt/Comfort, Oh, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Daryl, There's some arguing, There's some sexytimes, Timeline What Timeline, What Was I Thinking?, and hold on for dear life, blood and gore is still a thing, don't be hating, i'm makin shit up as i go, keep all limbs within the ride, please secure your seatbelts, so ladies and gentleman, that's cannon, thats still a thing, theres still zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-07 06:55:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4253691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j2mslittlebitch/pseuds/j2mslittlebitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl Dixon wasn't sure how the world ended up like it did, it happened so fast. He woke up one morning and suddenly it was hell. It started off with a few scattered and isolated events on the news, weird stuff happening, people doing crazy things. Then two days later the world was full of Walkers, the walking dead, trying to maul you and take a chunk out, trying to fucking eat you. It was like a bad dream, like a nightmare. Daryl had grabbed his crossbow, thrown a handful of clothes into a duffel, dragged Merle's drunk ass out the door and into his pick up truck and drove.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>Lori had always told Rick Grimes that he didn't talk enough, that he had this icy cold persona that even she couldn't break through. They only married because she found out she was pregnant and her father had demanded that Rick own up to his mistake. That's all he ever was to Lori, a mistake and while they grew comfortable in their life together, they never really loved each other so it wasn't a surprise he woke up in an empty hospital room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daryl Dixon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, guys, this is my first Walking Dead fic so please be kind. It's not beta'd so any errors are my own, if there is anything glaringly obvious, pop it in the comments and I'll fix it up. I play with the time line a lot and some things won't match up. My gang are living in the prison and I intend for them to stay there, so there will be no season 5 characters unless they meet other ways, which could happen.
> 
> This is still a WIP so if anyone has anything they want to see in a fic and can't find it, let me know and I'll try and work something in. The first two chapters are just prologues kinda and are leading up to the main event, so secure your seatbelt and try and enjoy the ride.
> 
> Also, please leave me feedback, good, bad or indifferent, just so I know how you guys are liking it because like I said above, it's my first TWD fic so I need some direction!
> 
> J x

**Rewind.**

Daryl Dixon wasn't sure how the world ended up like it did, it happened so fast. He woke up one morning and suddenly it was hell. It started off with a few scattered and isolated events on the news, weird stuff happening, people doing crazy things. Then two days later the world was full of Walkers, the walking dead, trying to maul you and take a chunk out, trying to _fucking_ eat you. It was like a bad dream, like a nightmare. Daryl had grabbed his crossbow, thrown a handful of clothes into a duffel, dragged Merle's drunk ass out the door and into his pick up truck and drove.

He didn't know where he was going, just far away from there, far away from the city with it's crowded streets and it's elevating death toll. Merle spent the better half of twelve hours, passed out or yelling. Apparently Daryl hadn't given him time to gather his stash, leaving him short of meth and spitting mad that he was going to have to go without.

The first abandon place they came across was a service station, Daryl had gathered all the fuel cans in the place and filled them up, loading them into the back of the truck, along with all the bottled water and poweraide. Merle had grabbed the porn and cigarettes, not that Daryl complained about them, because he pocketed a pack and hid two cartons in his duffel.

They ran out of fuel somewhere between no where and somewhere, and while Daryl was emptying a fuel can into the tank, he came face to face with his first walker. He had panicked, reaching for the crossbow that was propped against the truck next to his leg, fumbling for it with one hand while placing the fuel can down. Everyone thought Daryl to be simple minded but he was smarter then people gave him credit for and he knew that in days to come, fuel would be a highly sort after resource.

The walker was almost on him, clambering over its own feet and reaching for him with grabby hands when he finally got the crossbow up and pulled the trigger without aiming, the arrow hit the thing in the side of the neck with enough force to send it tumbling to the ground. Daryl sighed with relief and reached over to pull his arrow out when the thing shot up, grabbing his clothes and pulled him down to it. He struggled, wondering where Merle was while he pulled the arrow free. He thrust it through the walkers eye socket and once more it went down and was still.

Daryl watched it for a moment, waiting for it to move before he pulled the arrow out for a second time. He stepped away from the thing and lent over himself, propping one hand on his thigh and dragging the other hand over his mouth. It was shaking, he knew it and he shook himself out, stepping back to finish fuelling the truck before getting into the drivers seat again.

Merle was asleep in the passenger seat.

**Fastfoward.**

Daryl met Rick Grimes after a hunt. He was pissed, he had been tailing a deer, he had even shot the damn thing – loosing two arrows in the process – only to find a walker had taken it down. He didn't even hesitate when he unsheathed his knife and buried in the back the the things head.

“You stupid, disease carryin' piece of - _motherfucker_.” He relieved some of his frustrations by kicking the walker in the ribs and feeling a little sick because of the satisfaction the snapping ribs gave him, “That was my fuckin' deer!”

And then this cop had informed him he had handcuffed his fuckin' brother to the pipe on a roof in the middle of fuckin' Atlanta and left him, just high tailed it outta there, minus Merle. Daryl had lunged at Rick and the asshole hadn't even tried to defend himself, it had been _Shane_ that had stepped up and grabbed Daryl by the throat, forcing him down like a submissive bitch. Daryl hadn't gone quietly, Shane had received a broken nose for his efforts but neither Rick nor Daryl even cared.

Rick had shuffled forwards, a hand resting on the pistol in his holster and informed Daryl he was going back for his brother. First up Daryl wasn't sure he had heard right, was this piece of shit cop honestly saying he would go back for his racist, mean brother that nine times out of ten Daryl couldn't even stand?

It turns out he was.

Rick just stood back while Daryl swore and kicked the tool box next to Merle's severed hand. They followed the blood trail and Daryl found himself proud of his brother's will to survive, first up he cut off his own fuckin' hand, then he used a bunsen burner to cauterise the stump. 

They never found Merle but Daryl found himself holding a grudging respect for Rick as he helped Daryl search the streets until the sun started to set and Daryl found himself getting ansty at being out in the dark, so far from home and he suggested heading back.

**Fastforward.**

Daryl didn't know how it happened. Somewhere between scouring the woods for  
Sophia and Rick dragging him through the field, screaming for Hershel after Andrea had shot him, Daryl had discovered he was attracted the Rick.

Daryl wasn't any type of queer, he had fucked through his fair share of one night stands with women. It snuck up on him, it seemed one day Rick was the enemy, the next he was more important then Daryl would ever admit.

Daryl's respect for the man sky-rocketed when Sophia stumbled from the dark barn, squinting in the bright sunshine and stumbling over dead walkers. When it was all Daryl could do was to catch Carol and fall to the ground with the screaming, struggling woman while Rick stepped up and levelled his gun with the little girl. Daryl didn't think he would ever hear such a sound as Carol made when Sophia went down again, but he did.

He did when he seen Rick put Shane down, when he seen the man leaning over his best friend, almost howling like a wounded dog. Glen stood to his left side, his hands clenched tight around his shotgun. Daryl had shook his head and put a hand on the young man's shoulder for a second to steady him.

They watched the exchanged with Rick's boy, Daryl had flinched when Carl pulled the trigger and walker Shane's head snapped back and for the first time, Daryl was glad for the shooting lessons Shane and Rick had insisted the women and Carl take.

**Fastforward.**

Daryl felt dirty for thinking of Rick the way he did when he was helping Lori waddle-run through the prison. Rick was somewhere ahead with Glen, Maggie and T-Dog, slaying walkers for them to reach safety. Daryl was disgusted with himself over the whole situation, Rick was _married_ , his wife was about to have a baby anyday now – although the entire group new what was happening between Lori and Shane in those three months before Rick showed up on the scene again. Everyone could sense the distances between the pair from the night they heard them fighting over it, Rick was crying and Lori was yelling and the rest of the group pretended not to hear.

Things hadn't been the same since. Rick barely looked at his wife, leaving Daryl or Carol to help Lori as she progressed further and further through the pregnancy. Daryl had started sacrificing his food for the woman as she became gaunter and gaunter, the baby taking everything from her and leaving nothing. He ate less and piled more on her plate and he always shrugged it off when she asked with raised brows. _It's what they do._

It had been Daryl to cut the woman's stomach open with his dirty hunting knife and pulled the baby out, it had been him that put her down. It had been him that had wrapped the little baby up in his shirt and fought his way through the walkers one handed to get back to the group.

When he had pushed through the gate, the baby girl in his arms, his crossbow slung over his shoulder and blood darkening every patch of his clothing and skin, he had seen Rick crumple, he had seen Carl fall to the ground and draw his knees to his chest. The baby girl was crying in his arms and he started rocking her subconsciously. He wasn't sure where the action came from, he had never held a baby before.

Carol had rushed forwards at that, hands out like she wanted to take the baby and Daryl half turned away from her, blocking her reach to the baby with his shoulder, growling out her like a rabid dog. This baby wasn't his, he had needed to remind himself of that, needed to remember that when Rick came back from whatever he was doing, he would take his child and he would hate Daryl for what he had done.

Daryl forced himself to hand the baby to Maggie when it was determined that they needed formula for the child. Hershel instructed him on what to get, the right kind of formula and as much as he could carrying or else she would die.

He rode on his bike faster then he ever had before, weaving between cars and trees before he spotted a pharmacy. He bagged it all, formula, baby medicine and even a two small teething rings and a little pink teddy. Two shops down he found a supermarket, and after putting down two walkers and taking a stake to the hip, he bagged as many bottles, clothes and blankets as he could, as well as any medical supplies. He wrapped a bandage roughly around his abdomen over the wound on his hip before mounting his bike and taking off again.

He had snatched the baby back from Beth as soon as he dropped the bags at Hershel's feet, rubbing his hand down his pants, wiping his own blood off before he rubbed a hand over her head. He had given her her first bottle and given her a name until Rick came back to name her.

_Lil Asskicker._

**Play.**


	2. Rick Grimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't like Lori. Those of you who do might have to turn a blind eye to how I portray her and her marriage with Rick. I know some of you won't agree with me on how I write that but she's only mentioned in passing so no Lori-lovers need fear, there won't be too much trash talking.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you are liking it and don't forget to leave me some feedback.
> 
> J x

**Rewind.**

Lori had always told Rick Grimes that he didn't talk enough, that he had this icy cold persona that even she couldn't break through. They only married because she found out she was pregnant and her father had demanded that Rick own up to his mistake. That's all he ever was to Lori, a mistake and while they grew comfortable in their life together, they never really loved each other so it wasn't a surprise he woke up in an empty hospital room.

He remembered trash talking with Shane, laughing about Lori telling him he was cold when they had got the call. Three fugitives heading out 88 in an old Chevy. It turned out there was four, the fourth man had crawled from the rolled car and raised a shotgun. The bullet had hit Rick under his left armpit, right in the weak spot in his kevlar vest and knocked him on his ass.

His last thought when he passed out was that Lori wouldn't even care if he died out there.

So it was no surprise she wasn't in his hospital room when he dragged himself into consciousness, it was a surprise however that when he fell from his bed in panic and called for a nurse, his plea's went unnoticed. It was a surprise when he steps from his room and straight into a war zone.

**Fastforward.**

It had been a long time since Rick had ridden a horse, so long he could barely remember how to saddle up the big mare he had caught in the field. But he did, and he mounted the horse with his duffel full of guns slung over his shoulder and knees clenched against the saddle flaps.

The ride through the fields was almost peaceful, the odd walker barely even paying them any attention as they cantered passed. Though as the scenery changed from woods and dirt to skyscrapers and cement, things changed. The walkers were drawn to the _clip clop_ of the shod hooves on the road and damn near ripped the mare from under him. He wasn't sure how it came to this, him hiding in a tank with a dead man while those vile creatures ripped apart the innocent animal that had no choice in where she ended up.

_”Hey dumbass, you still alive in there?”_ The tanks two-way splattered to life and Rick nearly went into cardiac arrest as he fell over himself to get to it.

“H-hello, can you hear me?”

**Fastforward.**

“So let me get this straight, you handcuffed my brutha to the roof an' left him there ta rot?” Rick met Daryl Dixon about half an hour after he had found his family again, after he had dragged himself and Carl out of the dirt and he had tentative wrapped an arm around Lori's thin frame. “Tha' 'bout right, _Rick Grimes_?”

Rick could see Daryl was a loyal man, he shifted his weight restlessly before charging at the cop, only to have Rick raise his hands in surrender. It had after all been his fault that his brother had been left atop a walker infested walmart and there was no one else to blame.

“'M goin' back for him.”

“Yer what?”

Rick had felt Carl tense next to him with worry, Rick would have guessed, after all his father had been dead for three months, only to reappear to announce he was leaving again. He rubbed a rough hand over Carl's head and nodded to Daryl, “We'll go and get him.”

“I'll go,” T-Dog had raised a hand from behind Daryl, “I was the dumbass that dropped the key.”

“Y'all are both dumbasses if you think about going back to Atlanta,” Shane snapped from the sidelines, “That place is a death trap.”

“Shane, I can't just leave the man there,” Rick had pleaded with his friend, his brother, but Shane had been right, it was a fucking war just to get to the building but he had never felt safer than he did at that moment with Daryl Dixon and his crossbow watching his back.

They never found Merle, well at least in one piece.

**Fastforward.**

Lori was pregnant, she had been fucking Shane and now she was pregnant. She had told him she didn't know who the baby belonged too but it didn't matter because it was Rick's. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, a baby in this world was a miracle and a curse. They were constantly running, always moving and how would they keep that up with a new born.

Lori had called Rick names again, called him cold and told him he was delusional. He'd heard it all before and long since stopped caring about the woman's rants, she was nothing more than his son's mother, he couldn't even bring himself to call her his wife anymore, not since he found out about Shane.

He couldn't blame them, not really. It had been a long time since either of them had seen him, Shane had been convinced he was dead the day he had tried to move him from the hospital and while Rick didn't one hundred percent believe him, he knew Shane believed what he was saying, Rick could see it in his eyes.

Rick had befriended Daryl, spending most of his spare time with the hunter in the woods, getting crossbow lessons, or tracking lesson, clinging onto every word that came out of the man's mouth. Rick respected him and trusted him because he was _honest_ , he never lied or bent the truth to suit him. He had searched for Sophia for days, out in those woods by himself, he had been injured and staggered out of the woods like a walker and Andrea had taken upon herself to shoot him.

Rick thanked God everyday she was a shitty shot.

**Play.**


End file.
